Kirkwood is coming off his second season in North America’s premier open-wheel championship, and first with Andretti by which he captured two victories, together with the primary of his profession within the Grand Prix of Lengthy Seashore in April.
When the 25-year-old captured the Indy NXT championship in 2021, he turned the primary driver to ever declare titles in all three classes – USF 2000, USF Professional 2000, Indy NXT – a developmental ladder system for the IndyCar Collection.
He additionally gained the title within the Components 4 United States championship and Components Regional Americas Championship (then known as F3 Americas) in successive seasons in 2017 and 2018.
Moreover, on an IndyCar staff with a roster that additionally featured extremely touted Colton Herta and ex-F1 driver Romain Grosjean, Kirkwood was the one one to achieve Victory Lane.
With staff proprietor Michael Andretti vying to increase into F1 from 2025 after his entry received FIA approval, Kirkwood is hopeful to be on the shortlist of issues for a seat.
“Yeah, I’d hope that he would think about me,” Kirkwood mentioned.
“However I feel for me proper now, I am extraordinarily completely happy within the state of affairs that I am in. I really like being US based mostly. I really like with the ability to go to Florida and the time without work that you just get in IndyCar versus F1. I just like the minimal quantity of touring that you’ve right here in IndyCar.
Photograph by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Autosport Honda
“There’s numerous issues in F1 that take away from… it is an excessive change from IndyCar to F1. That being mentioned, I feel rising up as a younger child in karting, that was at all times the primary factor that you just needed to do.
“You at all times regarded as much as F1, particularly being in Florida the place it is very South American and European based mostly, within the karting scene.”
Kirkwood occurs to be shut associates with present Williams driver Logan Sargeant, so he’s had a glimpse of the approach to life and the dedication it takes to compete in F1.
“Yeah, it will be onerous for me to say no to something over there,” Kirkwood admitted.
“That simply stems from being a younger child in karting and searching as much as all of the F1 guys. I keep in mind considering after I was actually younger that if I simply drove an F1 automotive, then that might make my life full.
“Then I keep in mind that altering and being like, ‘Oh, effectively if I drive an Indy automotive and whatnot, then my life could be full as a result of that is the route that I alter in direction of.”
The considered IndyCar turned obvious across the age of 12 whereas within the midst of racking up quite a few karting titles, and have become enticing because of the fashion of racing, being extra obtainable and the actual fact it “appears extra like a karting race than a producing race.”
Photograph by: Richard Dole
Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Autosport Honda
It additionally stored him in class and close to locations he enjoys in america. Nonetheless, he concedes the considered F1 is tantalising.
“If I had a possibility in F1, I would be most likely obligated to go for it as I feel most drivers in our sequence would say,” Kirkwood mentioned.
“That is not taking away from what IndyCar is or something like that, as a result of I feel IndyCar is the very best sequence on the planet for the way the sequence treats its drivers, how the racing is, what the camaraderie is between drivers, the fulfilling locations we go to, the standard of life – I feel all of it’s prime notch in IndyCar.
“On the identical time, F1 has been the head of motorsports perpetually, so it would be onerous to say no to that being a competitor.”